Counterculture/Florida

Florida is the Southernmost state in the Confederate States of America. "Florida" is a Spanish adjective which means "flowery". It was discovered by Spanish explorers during the Easter season, which is called Pascua Florida in Spanish.

History

Archaelogical finds indicate that Florida had been inhabited for many thousands of years prior to any European settlements. Spaniards first arrived in 1513 and lay claim to a large, imprecisely defined area extending from about modern day Gainesville northward to the Carolinas, which they called La terra florida, "The flowery land". Over the following century, the Spanish and French both established settlements in Florida, with varying degrees of success. The area of Florida diminished with the establishment of British colonies to the north and French colonies to the west. Control of parts of Florida passed among Spanish, British, and U.S. control. Spain finally ceded Florida to the United States with the Adams-Onís Treaty in 1819, in exchange for the USA renouncing any claims on Texas. On March 3, 1845, Florida became the 27th state of the United States of America. On January 10, 1861, Florida seceded to become part of the newly formed Confederate States of America.

Law and Government

The Florida Legislature has a Senate of 40 members and a House of 120 members. The current governor is Ralph Corin, of the Confederate Party.

While Florida falls within the normal spectrum of Confederate politics, it has usually been more socially permissive than most Confederate states. Much of Florida's land is swampy, and not terribly useful for agriculture, so slavery never got established as strongly in Florida as in many states in the CSA.

Geography

Florida consists of a panhandle extending along the northern Gulf of Mexico and a large peninsula with the Atlantic Ocean as its eastern border and the Gulf of Mexico as its western border. It is bordered on the north by the states of Georgia and Alabama. It is near the countries of the Caribbean, particularly the Bahamas, Cuba, and Haiti.

At 345 feet (105 metres) above sea level, Britton Hill is the highest point in Florida.

Climate

Most of Florida has a humid subtropical climate, with a more tropical climate in the south. These climates are characteristic of "hot and hotter" seasons, with warm, relatively dry winters and autumns (the dry season) and hot, wet springs and especially the summers (the wet season). During the summer and fall, Florida is often hit by hurricanes.

Economy

Florida's economy is heavily based on tourism. Warm weather most of the year and many miles of pristine beaches provide a thriving vacation spot for wealthy travelers from around the CSA. Since the formation of the AU, Florida has begun attracting more visitors from other parts of the world. Other major industries include citrus fruit and juice production, banking, and phosphate mining.

Demographics

As of 2003, the state had a population of 6,015,060. The population is fairly evenly distributed, with most living on the coast.

Racially, Florida is:

• 87.4% White
• 10.6% Black
• 1.1% Hispanic
• 0.3% American Indian

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